Al-Alemi: Yemeni government works with the legitimacy coalition to protect waterways
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman, Rashad al-Alimi, said on Saturday that his government continues to work with the Saudi-led coalition supporting legitimacy to protect waterways and maintain a firm deterrent against threats, amid the escalation by the Houthi group in the Red Sea.
The remarks came in posts by al-Alimi on the US platform X, which were reposted by the official Yemeni news agency, Saba.
Al-Alimi stated that “the Yemeni government is proceeding with close cooperation with the coalition supporting legitimacy and its partners in the international community to protect waterways and combat terrorism, considering this a national responsibility and a firm commitment to the security of Yemen and the region, as well as to the protection of international peace and security.”
The chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council warned the Houthi group “of the consequences of continuing escalation and gambling with the interests of the Yemeni people to serve the agendas of the Iranian regime.”
He added that “its continuation of this destructive approach will only lead to further depletion of the country’s resources and will not change the conviction of Yemenis of the necessity to end the coup and restore state institutions.”
Al-Alimi pointed out that “the Houthi militias and their backers insist, whenever there is an opportunity for de-escalation, on plunging the country into successive crises,” considering that the group ignores the aspirations of Yemenis for “the state, dignity, security, and stability.”
He affirmed that “the group’s continuation of its escalationist path will only lead to prolonging suffering and wasting what remains of the country’s resources.”
Al-Alimi stressed that “the Yemeni people will remain committed to the goal of restoring state institutions and extending their authority over the entire national territory,” asserting that “the militias have no choice but to accept these realities.”
Al-Alimi’s comments follow an announcement by the joint forces command of the coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen, stating it struck targets in the western province of Hodeidah, which it said belonged to the “Houthi terrorist militia.”
A coalition spokesperson, Turki al-Maliki, said in a statement on X that “the Houthi terrorist militia committed a cowardly and reckless act by targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea, adding to the list of its crimes and maritime terrorism in one of the most important international waterways.”
Al-Maliki clarified that the Saudi-led coalition “carried out a firm and strong response after prioritizing its concern for preserving the resources of the brotherly Yemeni people.”
He affirmed that “the joint forces command of the coalition will continue to take all operational measures and necessary steps to protect our ships and safeguard the Kingdom’s interests and national resources, and if the Houthi militia continues its hostile actions, it will be met with a response without leniency,” according to the statement.
Subsequently, the Houthi group’s political office, in a statement, considered the targeting “a serious escalation and a blatant violation of international law, placing the international community before an ethical and legal responsibility,” as reported by the group’s satellite channel, Al-Masirah.
The Houthi group had announced on Wednesday evening that it targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea with ballistic missiles and drones, stating that the attack caused fires in both vessels.
Two days earlier, the group announced a “maritime navigation ban” on Saudi Arabia, in response to what it described as a blockade imposed by Riyadh on areas under Houthi control in Yemen.
Despite a relative de-escalation witnessed in Yemen since April 2022, sporadic clashes continue in the war that began nearly 12 years ago between government forces and the Houthi group, which has controlled provinces and cities, including Sanaa, since September 21, 2014.
Since early July, tensions have escalated in Yemen, with some fronts witnessing the fiercest clashes since 2022, leaving dozens dead and wounded on both sides.
Saudi Arabia supports the Yemeni government through its leadership of the coalition supporting legitimacy, while Iran is accused of backing the Houthi group.
